The Virgin Diet (15 page)

Eating the right combination of foods in the morning means that you will lose more weight and keep it off.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to start the day with a smoothie. Studies are clear on the benefits. To cite just one example, a 2003 study in the
International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders
found that by using meal-replacement shakes, “these types of interventions can safely and effectively produce significant sustainable weight loss and improve weight-related risk factors of disease.”
27

You want your metabolism fired up in the morning.

Make a Virgin Diet Shake. Then I know you are getting everything you need. Virgin Diet Shakes contain a blend of protein (to boost metabolism and satiety), fiber (to cleanse and support your GI tract and fight hunger), healthy fats (to reduce inflammation and improve satiety) and berries (super antioxidants to prevent aging and help your system heal). I’ve included my basic recipe plus two variations here. If you like, throw in a tablespoon of nut butter. You can also add in some
kale or spinach (fresh or frozen). I think you’re a rock star if you add the green stuff, and you won’t even taste it (especially the spinach). And you’ll be boosting your nutrients and giving yourself a great start for the day.

THE VIRGIN DIET SHAKE
1–2 scoops vegan pea–rice protein powder (See the Resources section on my website.)
1–2 tablespoons* fiber (fiber blend, chia seeds, hemp seeds, freshly ground flaxseed meal or nut butter)
½-1 cup organic frozen berries
1 cup liquid (water, unsweetened coconut milk** or coconut water)
I LIKE MY SHAKE THINNER! 1–2 scoops protein 1 serving fiber ½ cup organic frozen fruit 10 ounces liquid 1 cup spinach	I LIKE MY SHAKE THICKER! 1–2 scoops protein 1 serving fiber 1 serving chia seeds, hemp seeds or freshly ground flaxseeds 1 cup organic frozen fruit 8 ounces liquid Ice cubes
* I really want you to pump up your fiber so build up to those 2 tablespoons per shake.
** I recommend So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk. If you use canned coconut milk, choose the light version and dilute ¼ cup coconut milk with ¾ cup water.

I am a big proponent of using high-quality meal-replacement shakes to replace 1 or 2 meals per day. The research is clear that people who do this lose more weight
and
keep it off. I like shakes because they make it easy to get in a great balanced breakfast, and I find that this is the meal that most people struggle with, either because they just aren’t hungry, they don’t have “time” (make time, please!), or they are used to eating dessert for breakfast. A shake solves all of these problems and removes the opportunities for bad decisions that can also take you down. For all of these reasons, the Virgin Diet Shake is a critical part of the program.

But if you just can’t do a shake, then you can have lunch or dinner for breakfast. Yep, that’s right. It may seem strange the first day or two, and then it will be your new normal.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR SHAKE

• No artificial sweeteners
  
• 5 grams or less of sugar
  
• No whey, dairy, milk solids, egg or soy (Soy lecithin is okay.)
  
• No maltodextrin
  
• 5 grams or more of fiber
  
• pea, rice and/or hemp protein (See the Resources section on my website.)
  
• Sugar alcohols (Stevia is acceptable.)
  

An important part of the Virgin Diet isn’t just what you eat, it’s when you eat. When you eat, you raise blood sugar. When you raise blood sugar, you raise insulin. When you raise insulin, you shut down fat burning. Yes, when we are digesting, we are boosting metabolism. But we’re not boosting metabolism enough to compensate for the calories that we’re eating.

It’s important to eat only every 4 to 6 hours.

That’s why it’s important to eat only every 4 to 6 hours. Because you’re getting clean, lean protein; healthy fats; a little bit of high-fiber, low-glycemic carbs; and loads of nonstarchy vegetables in every meal on this plan, you’ll have a nice steady release of blood sugar to your brain. Your insulin levels stay down so you can access stored fat for fuel. You feel great. You feel energized.

If you must, have 2 meals, an afternoon snack and then a final meal, but if you can, get yourself down to 3 meals. Ultimately, you’ll feel better, look better and lose weight faster. So if you wake up at 6, you should eat breakfast by 7, have lunch between 11 and 1 and eat dinner between 5 and 7. If you are eating the earlier lunch at 11 and a later dinner at 7 or after, then you can do that afternoon snack at 3.

There are two exceptions to this rule. First, if you are an athlete and actively increasing your muscle mass, then you will eat every 4 hours and have 4 meals each day, rather than 3. This is how I helped Brandon Routh pack on 20 pounds of muscle when he starred as Superman. The other exception is if you have to eat every 2 to 3 hours because of reactive hypoglycemia or a known medical condition. If you have to do this, that’s okay, although I have found that I can spread most people to
3 hours and then 4 hours so they end up eating 2 meals, a snack and then another meal on this program.

FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULES

• Drink your Virgin Diet Shake within an hour of waking up. If you’re working out first thing, you can have half your shake before and half after.
  
• Eat every 4 to 6 hours.
  
• Stop eating 2 to 3 hours before bed. Note: That does
  not
  mean you get to go to bed later!
  

DOING WATER RIGHT

• When you get up: 16 ounces
  
• 30 to 60 minutes before each meal: 16 ounces
  
• During a meal: limit to 4 to 8 ounces. Start drinking water again 60 minutes after each meal.
  
• Before bed: 8 ounces
  
• Daily total: 64 ounces minimum; more if you are in a hot climate, exercise heavily or are heavier. You should be drinking approximately half your weight in ounces.
  

Keep a water bottle with you to continue to drink between meals so you drink enough. Thirty minutes before each meal, start limiting fluids to no more than 8 ounces of water until an hour after the meal. That’s because having fluids with your food
dilutes your stomach acid. That bedtime water is really helpful, too, to prevent nighttime cravings. According to a study done at the University of Washington, drinking 8 ounces of water at bedtime can shut down your evening hunger pangs.
28

Water is queen for weight loss. Water will help you get healthy and lose weight faster than any other single substance. Do you know how often you’re not hungry, but you’re really thirsty?

For some reason, nature endowed us with a terrible thirst monitor. By the time you know you’re thirsty, it’s too late—you’re already dehydrated. I have no idea why our bodies evolved this way—maybe to survive in water-scarce climates—but it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve by hydrating
before
you feel thirsty.

This isn’t just a health issue, it’s also a weight-loss issue. Even mild dehydration of 1 to 2 percent can raise cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and one of the things it can do is cause you to store more fat around your waist. So dehydration can block fat burning, undoing all the good you’re doing by eating right and exercising. We need water to burn fat.

Water is queen for weight loss.

Did you know that our bodies should be 70 percent water? Most people are down at 45 to 50 percent. Dehydration is yet another risk factor for inflammation. Drinking water throughout the day is the solution.

Now, a lot of people think that any kind of fluid is the same as water. It’s not. Coffee, tea and soft drinks are highly acidic and actually
dehydrate you. You need to drink even more water to overcome the dehydrating effects of the coffee or tea.

Not all water is created equal. If it started out as pure spring water but you’re drinking it out of plastic bottles, now it’s pure spring water plus phthalates (a toxic ingredient in the plastic that may disrupt hormones and promote obesity). Not to mention the landfill issue and the fact that you’re creating a huge carbon footprint each time you drink one. So no more plastic bottles.

Get creative to inspire yourself to drink more water. Try sparkling water (get the kind in the glass bottles) with a little lime. Or make what I call “spa water.” I loved going to the spa and getting those special waters with cucumbers, oranges, lemon, lime and maybe a little mint or basil. One day I realized that I could get that spa experience at home—and you can, too. Use whatever essence you love.

Here’s the rest of my guide to healthy water intake:

• Put a water filter on every tap in your house.
  
• Track your water intake in your food journal.
  
• Water will curb your appetite anyway, but if you want some more help, throw 5 to 10 grams of fiber into some water and drink it 30 minutes before your meals. (See the Resources section on my website.)
  

Food is here to nourish us. It’s here to rebuild us. And it’s here to heal. Along with pulling out the high-FI foods that create adverse reactions, we’ll bring in foods that heal.

First, here are the key low-FI foods. I want you to eat these on a regular basis. These low-FI foods are the least reactive foods I know, and they will help your body heal:

Food is here to nourish us. It’s here to rebuild us. And it’s here to heal.

PROTEINS

Hormone-free, free-range chicken and turkey

Pasture-fed lamb

Pea, rice and/or hemp protein

Wild cold-water fish

NONSTARCHY VEGETABLES

They all fit in here, but especially focus in on:

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Deep green leafy vegetables

Kale

Spinach

FRUIT

Apples

Blueberries

FATS

Avocado

Chia seeds

Coconut oil and coconut milk

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground flaxseed meal

Palm fruit oil

HIGH-FIBER STARCHY CARBS

Brown rice

Lentils

Quinoa

Sweet potatoes

These have been used a lot in ancient times and in many of the Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Sadly, the ones we know, like sauerkraut, aren’t necessarily so healing anymore because they aren’t prepared in the traditional way. But when you ferment a food—or soak it or sprout it—it vastly reduces the lectins and phytates, and it may even eliminate them altogether.

Fermentation is a little bit like predigesting your food. Hard-to-digest elements, such as lactose, are consumed in the fermentation process, making everything easier to digest and lowering the overall sugar content. Fermented foods also contain beneficial bacteria that act as pre-and probiotics. That helps feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. That is your warrior defense system.

Many fermented foods in more traditional cultures don’t ever make it into our consciousness. You’ve probably never been offered fermented camel’s milk, but they drink it in the Middle East all the time. Rakfisk is salted fermented trout from Scandinavia, and it’s also very healthy.

Dark chocolate is generally fermented. Isn’t that great to hear? Pickled ginger—the kind you get in a Japanese restaurant—is also fermented. So is kimchi, the Korean cabbage dish, and traditionally prepared sauerkraut. Fermented fish sauces can be great, but be careful: they often contain gluten. Kombucha, the green tea, is fermented, but make sure there’s no sugar added.

Yogurt is fermented, so in Cycle 3, if you can handle some dairy, you can have some Greek-style yogurt and kefir. In Cycle 1, you can even get a starter kit and make coconut-milk kefir, a phenomenal prebiotic and probiotic fizzy cocktail that is good for your gut (see the Resources section on my website for more information).

Now, when I say
fermented,
I mean soaking, fermenting, sprouting and pickling—the whole traditional process. You want to avoid commercially fermented foods because usually they are just preserved in vinegar after being run through a lactobacterial salt slurry.

Healing foods soothe and heal the gastrointestinal tract, reduce inflammation, balance blood sugar, support healthy gut bacteria and help you have poops that you can be proud of 2 or 3 times per day. Some of the most powerful healing foods are vegetables. There are so many amazing, different kinds that you can add into your diet.

Some of the most powerful healing foods are vegetables.

Look for color in your fruits and vegetables—that way you’re sure to get a variety of healing vitamins and minerals. The exception to that would be cauliflower. Along with cabbage and broccoli, cauliflower is a sulforaphane rock star. (For more on the benefits of sulforaphane, see the entries for cabbage and broccoli below.)